President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the United States is on track to sign a deal with Ukraine regarding minerals and natural resources, following successful talks this week with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. Trump expressed optimism about the progress of peace negotiations for Ukraine, stating that discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy went well.
During a White House event where he signed an order to boost U.S. production of critical minerals, Trump mentioned plans to finalize a rare earths agreement with Ukraine. The recent discussions aimed to end the conflict in Ukraine, with Putin agreeing to a temporary halt in Russian attacks on energy infrastructure and Zelenskiy also agreeing to a pause.
Trump emphasized the importance of ending the war in Ukraine to prevent unnecessary loss of life and expressed confidence in achieving this goal. The U.S. and Ukraine had previously agreed to develop Ukraine’s critical mineral resources as a form of repayment for U.S. assistance.
Efforts to finalize the deal faced challenges after a difficult meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy, but the leaders recently agreed to collaborate on resolving the conflict. The current version of the minerals deal is said to be more detailed and comprehensive, although specifics were not provided by a senior U.S. official.
The European Union leaders in Brussels affirmed their ongoing support for Ukraine but did not immediately endorse a request by Zelenskiy for a 5 billion euro package for artillery purchases.
